Corey O’Connor projected as next mayor of Pittsburgh

Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor is projected to become Pittsburgh’s next mayor, according to the Associated Press on Tuesday night. Click here if you do not see the poll above.With 32% of precincts reporting, O’Connor had 92.2% of the vote compared to 7.8% for Moreno, who won the nomination in the city’s first contested Republican mayoral primary in decades.Following the projected win, O’Connor spoke to a crowd of people in Pittsburgh’s South Side, saying it is now time to make the city safer again. “I want to thank you, the people of Pittsburgh. This victory belongs to you,” O’Connor said. “No matter who you supported tonight, we are united in the fight for a safer, more transparent, more robust city.” He also thanked his opponent, retired police chief Tony Moreno, for his willingness and eagerness to run in the race. “I want to thank Tony Moreno for his eagerness to run this fall, and we saw him a couple of times, so thank you, Tony, for your willingness to run in the fall.” Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 is on the scene and will provide more updates once they are made available. This article will be updated. Please refresh for the latest. ABOUT COREY O’CONNORO’Connor, 41, grew up in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and currently lives in Point Breeze with his wife Katie and their two children.O’Connor attended Duquesne University, where he studied early childhood education and later worked for then-U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, where he handled community development.In 2011, O’Connor was elected to the Pittsburgh City Council, representing District 5.In 2022, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf nominated O’Connor to fill the vacancy in the Allegheny County Controller’s office when Chelsa Wagner left to serve as a judge.In November 2023, O’Connor was elected to a full term as the county controller. WHAT DOES HE STAND FOR? Prior to his projected win, O’Connor took part in a debate against Moreno at WTAE’s studios in May, where he spoke on what he would do if elected mayor. Read below what he says are the major issues impacting Pittsburgh: ISSUES: AFFORDABLE HOUSINGO’Connor says he wants to help “residents access safe, stable, and most importantly, affordable,” housing. He says he wants to help residents find resources for repairs or accessibility modifications.According to his campaign website, he is looking to fix the permit and zoning system, encourage housing abundance and affordability, and work withthe Urban Redevelopment Authority to use the Housing Opportunity fund. O’Connor proposes a transit-oriented development zoning overlay district.O’Connor says he is committed to encouraging a ‘wide-scale’ production of new housing units and workforce housing and wants to prioritize helping those who are homeless stay off the street.”I believe that we could have affordable housing in every neighborhood, but you need leadership and someone at the table who is willing to negotiate,” O’Connor said during a debate with Gainey at the WTAE studios on April 22.ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETYO’Connor said Pittsburgh is currently struggling to “administer public safety functions.” O’Connor said he wants to ‘adequately’ fund and staff public safety services, restore dedicated community and neighborhood resource policing units, further develop the co-responder program and establish public safety resource hubs.In addition, O’Connor says he wants to create accessible and open public safety dashboards that will include data and crime with year-over-year trends.”Police and EMS stations are closing overnight because of staffing shortages, severely impacting the City’s ability to respond to emergency situations and keep residents safe. This is unacceptable. The City has been plagued by difficulties with recruitment and retention for years, placing undue stress on the Police, Fire, and EMS services that comprise the Department of Public Safety.”During a live debate at WTAE studios against Mayor Gainey on April 22, O’Connor also said public safety will be improved if the city figures out its next steps regarding a police chief.”It comes to the chief of police and how we don’t even have one,” O’Connor said. “This is our fifth one in three and a half years. People still feel uncomfortable coming into the city. There are still offices that don’t have people back in the city because they are worried.”WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Corey O’Connor will now serve as the 62nd mayor of Pittsburgh, following in the footsteps of his late father, Bob O’Connor. His father died seven months into his term after being diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Corey O’Connor will be sworn into office on January 5, 2026. Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel

PITTSBURGH —

Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor is projected to become Pittsburgh’s next mayor, according to the Associated Press on Tuesday night.

Click here if you do not see the poll above.

With 32% of precincts reporting, O’Connor had 92.2% of the vote compared to 7.8% for Moreno, who won the nomination in the city’s first contested Republican mayoral primary in decades.

Following the projected win, O’Connor spoke to a crowd of people in Pittsburgh’s South Side, saying it is now time to make the city safer again.

“I want to thank you, the people of Pittsburgh. This victory belongs to you,” O’Connor said. “No matter who you supported tonight, we are united in the fight for a safer, more transparent, more robust city.”

He also thanked his opponent, retired police chief Tony Moreno, for his willingness and eagerness to run in the race.

“I want to thank Tony Moreno for his eagerness to run this fall, and we saw him a couple of times, so thank you, Tony, for your willingness to run in the fall.”

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 is on the scene and will provide more updates once they are made available.

This article will be updated. Please refresh for the latest.

ABOUT COREY O’CONNOR

O’Connor, 41, grew up in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and currently lives in Point Breeze with his wife Katie and their two children.

O’Connor attended Duquesne University, where he studied early childhood education and later worked for then-U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, where he handled community development.

In 2011, O’Connor was elected to the Pittsburgh City Council, representing District 5.

In 2022, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf nominated O’Connor to fill the vacancy in the Allegheny County Controller’s office when Chelsa Wagner left to serve as a judge.

In November 2023, O’Connor was elected to a full term as the county controller.

WHAT DOES HE STAND FOR?

Prior to his projected win, O’Connor took part in a debate against Moreno at WTAE’s studios in May, where he spoke on what he would do if elected mayor.

Read below what he says are the major issues impacting Pittsburgh:

ISSUES: AFFORDABLE HOUSING

O’Connor says he wants to help “residents access safe, stable, and most importantly, affordable,” housing. He says he wants to help residents find resources for repairs or accessibility modifications.

According to his campaign website, he is looking to fix the permit and zoning system, encourage housing abundance and affordability, and work withthe Urban Redevelopment Authority to use the Housing Opportunity fund. O’Connor proposes a transit-oriented development zoning overlay district.

O’Connor says he is committed to encouraging a ‘wide-scale’ production of new housing units and workforce housing and wants to prioritize helping those who are homeless stay off the street.

“I believe that we could have affordable housing in every neighborhood, but you need leadership and someone at the table who is willing to negotiate,” O’Connor said during a debate with Gainey at the WTAE studios on April 22.

ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETY

O’Connor said Pittsburgh is currently struggling to “administer public safety functions.” O’Connor said he wants to ‘adequately’ fund and staff public safety services, restore dedicated community and neighborhood resource policing units, further develop the co-responder program and establish public safety resource hubs.

In addition, O’Connor says he wants to create accessible and open public safety dashboards that will include data and crime with year-over-year trends.

“Police and EMS stations are closing overnight because of staffing shortages, severely impacting the City’s ability to respond to emergency situations and keep residents safe. This is unacceptable. The City has been plagued by difficulties with recruitment and retention for years, placing undue stress on the Police, Fire, and EMS services that comprise the Department of Public Safety.”

During a live debate at WTAE studios against Mayor Gainey on April 22, O’Connor also said public safety will be improved if the city figures out its next steps regarding a police chief.

“It comes to the chief of police and how we don’t even have one,” O’Connor said. “This is our fifth one in three and a half years. People still feel uncomfortable coming into the city. There are still offices that don’t have people back in the city because they are worried.”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Corey O’Connor will now serve as the 62nd mayor of Pittsburgh, following in the footsteps of his late father, Bob O’Connor.

His father died seven months into his term after being diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer.

Corey O’Connor will be sworn into office on January 5, 2026.

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